Chapter 19: Tricks & Deals

After seeing Marianne sending that message, I made sure to stay around close enough to notice when she was leaving, but far enough to avoid being noticed, not wanting to discourage her from visiting her good friend Cornelia. It was good that I did, because only a minute later she stood up and moved for the door at a speed that could almost be described as dashing, proving the effectiveness of my massage tricks.

I followed her of course, only stopping a moment to disguise myself as a non-descriptive servant on the way, my mind on the ways of breaking them quickly. A servant accidentally coming across them was an option, but not a good one, considering Cornelia's response when I stumbled on them. That night, the only thing that saved me was their belief in my inability to speak about it. So, it wasn't my preferred way of interdiction.

That track of thought turned out to be useless when Marianne took a direction towards the outside, rather than the storage rooms like I was expecting to. Instead, she took a path that would directly lead to the training forests.

The same place that was out of commission due to elemental hyena incident.

I continued to follow her from a distance, but this time, not because I was needed to break the ploy, but to watch her reaction when she was being turned away.

Soon, she arrived at the forest, only to find several guards around the perimeter, some already having arguments with the entitled students that weren't very familiar with the concept of rejection. Marianne was no different in that aspect, of course, but her non-confrontational attitude prevented her from making a spectacular mess.

Frustrated, she turned back, only to meet with Cornelia at the halfway. Another heated discussion started, mostly in whispers which I was too far away to hear, but their body language was easy to read. Cornelia, always as fiery as her hair color, wasn't happy about being denied, and Marianne was doing her best to calm her down, but succeeding, she was not.

Feeling adventurous, I decided to use their distraction to slip a spell on Marianne, one that would increase her arousal markedly, but hopefully not to a point that would make her check for external influences, which would make a great experience. After all, the situation she was in was already arousing.

[+1 Biomancy]

[-14 Mana]

Marianne wasn't able to prevent Cornelia to walk towards the guards. It was a loud, annoying, and ultimately, fruitless argument, and in the end, Cornelia was so annoyed that she even tried to grab Marianne to drag her along. Marianne pulled back, with enough presence of mind to realize the questions that would arise if she was seen like that.

She followed Cornelia, but her earlier enthusiasm was absent, clearly would prefer to write-off the night instead of staying alone with Cornelia. Not surprising, considering Cornelia's explosive anger and her sadistic tendencies.

I decided to do the gentlemanly thing and help Marianne. I stopped following them, instead, changed my disguise from a servant to a maid. My destination: Cornelia's rooms.

The idea was simple. With her obvious internal political battle and the existence of secrets she was eager to hide, it was the best way to remove her out of the equation, not just for the day, but for a foreseeable future, making her too afraid to wander away, afraid of losing her secrets.

The presence of maids was so common that sneaking into her room didn't take any effort. The first ward at the entrance was stronger and the more intricate than the last time, but considering the monumental increase in my arcana skills, it didn't take a moment to pass it. The second ward that blocked the entrance for her private room suffered the same fate.

In her angry state, I had a feeling that Cornelia would settle for a sub-par location to hide, therefore risking not only her presence but also Marianne's in the school. Everyone knew things like that happened behind the closed doors, but exposed publicly allowed everyone to target the victims sanctimoniously.

I didn't want to lose Marianne, not when I managed to train her perfectly.

Still, being in her room without the obligation to erase my track was a huge benefit, so I went through her library, stealing several precious books and scrolls that belonged to her family, focusing on the topics that Helga was interested in. One benefit of spending years in the library, I had the ability to instantly appraise the value of any written item. I didn't bother with money or other valuables. There were easier ways to acquire them.

After that, I molded a generous amount of mana, some as a shield, some to form a kind of magical lockpick. The latter, I didn't bother to form carefully. The wards on Cornelia's box was still too strong, and even if they weren't, my aim was to make her cautious enough to force her to stay in her room, not to send her to a crusade across the school, searching for her treasured secrets.

In a manner of speaking, I showed the lockpick into the intricate web of wards that protected Cornelia's most important secrets, then dashed away even as a flare of alarm rose, a magical push that alerted Cornelia that her secrets might not be a secret anymore.

[Achievement: False Flag. Engineer a heist to block a rival from having fun. +500 Experience, +1 Manipulation, +1 Precision]

A strong rush of flame rose towards me, but my shield was already in place, diverting it long enough for me to get out. I dashed away, ignoring the panicked shouts of the maids, slipping to the first side corridor that wouldn't have anyone around, changing into a servant.

I changed my disguise four times until I could walk into my room, slipping the sack with the books underneath my bed. From outside, I could hear the commission going on. I needed to be careful with the disguises for a foreseeable future, I noted. But it was a worthy sacrifice. Not only I pushed Cornelia out of the equation for a while, but I also had the perfect bait for Helga.

Considering the indignity she suffered from Cornelia's hands just to get a peek to those secrets, I had a feeling that a fun reward awaited me...

But I didn't have much time to spend imagining that, as I needed to go back to the library. Unlike the past, Marianne knew a part of my secret, and there was a chance that she would get suspicious if I wasn't around when she returned. Yet another change of clothes later, I went back to the library, to do the same mind-numbingly boring tasks.

Unlike my expectations, Marianne didn't return to the library. But it was okay, because she wasn't the only blonde with something going on. Helga was in the library, in her usual position, in a forgotten but defensible corner of the library, with several thick tomes open in front of her.

I could see a hint of depression on her face, which was understandable due to the 'disappearance' of her ranger friend, unaware that he was closer than she might think. A pity that revealing the truth wasn't an option.

But that didn't mean that I couldn't distract her in a different manner. A little mystery would go a long way to give her something other to do than pining after an imaginary person. First, I passed near her with my cart, close enough to see which books she was reading. With my intelligence and my knowledge about her ultimate research objectives, it wasn't really difficult to guess which book she might want to pick next.

I prepared three identical notes, all with a subtle spell that would trigger a few seconds after touching, and slipped them inside the three books she was most likely to pick next. A neat trick to impress and unbalance her at the same time. It was a simple note.

'Helga,

If you're interested in having a better deal than what you currently have with Cornelia to support your research, come to the storage room six fifteen minutes after midnight.

This is a one-time offer that will disappear if you reject, or mention it to anyone else.

Sincerely,

A mysterious helper.'

With the notes discreetly slid inside the books, I pulled away to maintain the distance, waiting for her to take the bait. Her fast-reading shortened wait quite a bit. Several minutes later, she stood up, and picked one of the books I predicted. Her reaction when the note slipped out of the box was comical. I had to struggle to keep myself from laughing, which would have revealed my hiding spot between the shelves.

The sudden flash of energy that devoured the note hadn't exactly made her any calmer about the situation. She looked around, trying to see someone around, but I was hidden well enough to avoid detection. She looked around for a few times, trying to find the culprit. Failing that, she walked away, her dilemma visible on her face.

I watched her walk away, curious what she would choose tonight...

—

For the encounter with Helga, I picked a different set of clothes, predominantly black and gray, with a high collar that functioned as a mask when I lowered my head, its ability to hide my identity enhanced further with a hood. It wasn't the best way of walking around without being noticed, but my aim was to sell the story of concealment rather than actually hiding myself.

I arrived at the target location almost an hour before, subtly setting up several wards to dissuade any servant from walking in. I kept the wards as straightforward as possible. Helga would be quite alert, so, trying to slip an inventive ward that would affect her mood was an unnecessary risk.

Not that I needed it. Not only I knew one of her deepest secrets, but also the thing that forced her to that was in my possession. The deck was sufficiently stacked to my side, making further magical assistance a bonus I could dismiss. So, after making sure that we were going to stay alone in the storage room, I pulled back into the shadows, waiting for her arrival. While waiting, I practiced a bit to find the perfect voice I should use.

The door opened right on time, but before anyone entered the room, a subtle wave of magic spread through the entrance. A simple identification spell, trying -and failing- to be subtle. "No magic," I called even as I reached and disrupted the spell, with more power than necessary to highlight the fact that I could afford to do so. After all, not only I had a higher level than her -knowledge courtesy of the system- but also I had a very high and balanced mental score, making my mana abnormally large for someone at my level.

[-30 Mana]

No answer came. If it wasn't for the wards, informing me that there was only one interloper, I might have beat a hasty retreat. Moreover, I was sufficiently familiar with her methodical but slow spellcasting enough to make sure that I had the correct visitor. Not that she had the option to convince someone else to assist her. She had enough trouble meeting with people that wouldn't stab her in an opportune moment.

Despite everything, there was a silent pride on her shoulders as she walked into the middle of the room, the robe tightly wrapped around her. "Who are you, and what do you want?" she asked with a mostly-stable voice, trying and failing to hide the inflictions underneath it.

"My identity is unimportant for the moment," I said with a throaty voice, one that suggested darkness, but also a mystery. "And on what I want, you have that backward. I have something you want." With that, I kicked the scroll I had prepared for her, based on the same excerpts from the books I had stolen from Cornelia earlier the day.

She didn't immediately reach for it, which was a plus, showing her caution. Moreover, she hadn't immediately used magic, showing her obedience by following my earlier directive. "You can test the scroll," I allowed, not wanting to escalate the situation unnecessarily before I could establish a more reasonable basis than being a formless voice in the dark.

She was careful as she slowly prodded the scroll with arcana energies, methodically exploring to see if there was any trap, but ultimately, she spent far less time than she could, correctly deducing that if I wanted to harm her such a direct manner, I would have used something much more direct. Her eyes grew in shock as she slowly unfurled the scroll, taking an account of the content inside. "How..." she murmured.

"I have my ways," I answered, even as I stepped out of the shadows. I could see her stance stiffening, but it was the only outward expression she had given.

"I'm assuming it's not for free," she said in resignation, which was a lesson she knew well. Nothing was for free in these halls. I nodded. "What's the price for it?"

"I want you," I answered even as I let a crooked smile spread to my face, bringing the full impact of my charisma to the surface. But even that wasn't enough for a bitter expression to spread to her face, mixed with resignation. She reached towards the top button of her robe.

"Not like that," I cut her off, sharply, acting like that misunderstanding was her mistake.

"What do you mean?" she murmured, caught flat-footed by the sudden change.

"I want your loyalty," I said. She looked at me uncomprehendingly. "I'm watching you for a while. Despite the absolute lack of support, you have done a lot to survive, not hesitating to make the difficult calls when it's necessary." I waited for a bit. "But it's not enough, is it?"

"Maybe," she murmured, not willing to admit.

"How many levels you have gained since you joined the Silver Spires," I asked.

"What it is to you?" she lashed out, feeling angry at the mention of her level, which was understandable. I didn't know her exact skills, but it was obvious they were more focused on the research rather than combat, the only reason she was able to get a scholarship in the first place. However, it also meant that it was almost impossible for her to grind alone. And she was a pariah, meaning no one supported her in the school.

"Just a curiosity, but you don't have to answer. It's not hard to guess that you hadn't gained a level since you joined the Silver Spires. How long it has been? Almost two years, right?"

She flinched at the reminder. "It's not that important," she defended herself. "I can always maximize my level after I returned to my family."

"Yes, but then you won't have access to the best library in the world," I said. The second best according to one of my achievements, but that wasn't a point that needed to be raised, not without being able to explain how I know. "Would you be okay to waste everything you have worked for, that making every humiliation that you endured to go to waste?"

"And what," she spat angrily as she gathered her arms around her chest. "Are you going to make all better?"

"I can help you level up, and in return, I want not only full access to your research, but also your assistance on the tasks of my choosing."

I could feel pride and happiness emanating her when I mentioned her research. With everyone else treating her efforts as a waste, she clearly enjoyed the recognition I gave to them, making them a part of such an important bargain. "How can I be sure that you're going to deliver what you promise," she said, trying to make it sound like she was still against it, but I knew her tells enough to read her acceptance.

"Well, then, what about a preliminary deal. I push you over level ten in three months, or you can call the deal off?"

She caught herself nodding halfway in. "Maybe I'm already higher than that," she tried to say, but her frustration made her lie obvious. I didn't even bother to answer, just sent a glance towards her, which made her blush. "Do you think you can help me gain three levels," she countered, this time underplaying her level by one. A good attempt, too bad for her that I had been cheating.

"As long as you follow my words, that's quite doable," I said. After all, all I needed was to mortally wound a few hundred class five to eight creatures. I could easily forge a new permission slip when the forest was reopened into training sessions to a more dangerous area, and help her level up.

"When?" she said.

"Likely in a few days. The forests are currently closed due to an incident with the wards," I said, giving a brief explanation of the rumors behind the sudden change, making sure to keep my voice to calm but impactful. But even as I gave the explanation, I could see her relax. My charisma and speech skill was really giving their worth, making her mellower by each passing moment.

[Achievement: Patient Poacher. Take the first step of converting a target into a long-term loyal follower by sacrificing short-term fun. +500 Experience +1 Charisma, +1 Wisdom]

"I think we can call it a night, since we agreed," I said, giving three more scrolls towards her, but this time, using my arcana abilities to make them float. "Take them as an advance," I said, then started to walk towards the door, satisfied with the meaningful stride in my mission to convert my first long-term ally.

"When are we going to talk next," she said just as I was about to disappear at the doorway.

"I'll find you," I said before slipping away, once again using the first opportunity to disguise myself into a servant. A minute later, Helga passed me, not even making a note of my presence, proving the effectiveness of my subterfuge skill once more.

It was late, but I decided to take a brief walk outside before going to my room. Being in the same room with Helga brought some memories to the surface that should best be left untouched for an easy sleep, and the cold wind would work efficiently.

And it was a good thing I did, because I noticed a familiar raven-haired figure walking towards the training forest, her sword strapped on her back. I didn't bother to call her, assuming the guards would prevent her from entering. But that turned out to be a strategic mistake, because the perimeter guard acted like he hadn't seen anything, but sent a small signal after she passed.

"Damn it," I murmured as I started looking around, trying to identify a spot I could slip between the guards. And seeing four figures, all heavily armed, using the same entrance to slip into the forest made that need even more immediate.

I needed to hurry up!

—

[Level: 10 Experience: 46725 / 55000

Strength: 11 Charisma: 15

Precision: 11 Perception: 11

Agility: 12 Manipulation: 15

Speed: 7 Intelligence: 12

Endurance: 10 Wisdom: 18

HP: 510 / 510 Mana: 650 / 710 ]

SKILLS

[Advanced Subterfuge [50/50]

Advanced Arcana [50/50]

Advanced Biomancy [37/50]

Advanced Melee [26/50]

Basic Speech [25/25]